Winter Moments

Alas, we made it through our first Oregon Winter

Or shall I be like the locals and call it the “gloom”. Honestly, it wasn’t nearly as bad as anticipated… although there was a couple of days where I was wanting to do a sun dance. Winter was our first full season we got to experience as Oregonians. We adventured to new cities, tasted new restaurants, and drank like locals. Come on a journey with me as I look back on our Winter months.

We explored Hood River and roamed around downtown. Picture old charm injected into a nature setting. It sounds crazy, but we had a Reindeer pizza and it was FANTASTIC. On the way back to Portland, a pit-stop to Sugarpine was a must. The seasonal flavor was Clementine Cake {almond cake bites, orange curd, ‘birdseed’ brittle, and candied orange}, I dream about it to this day. Crossing my fingers they bring it back this Fall/Winter! We’re also looking forward to exploring downtown Troutdale in the future and spending a summer day down on the Sandy River.

Soaking up the morning sun in mid-November {while morning sun was still a more normal occurrence}. Tap here for outfit details.

Lake Oswego is always a family favorite meeting place. We tested Archie’s socialization {he’s working on his poor leash behavior and I’m happy to report that since this trip he has greatly improved} at George Rogers Park. Eagerly awaiting Spring days with less precipitation so we can hit the Pickle Ball Court and enjoy lounge chairs on the beach.

We went down South and spent a couple days in Roseburg. Another smaller town with a charming downtown {I’m making an assumption that’s a majority of Oregon towns}. The restaurants and breweries here were fantastic. I had two of my favorite cocktails of all time! One, a Crater Lake gin and the second, a London Fog Old Fashion. The first photo from our hotel room is unedited… encompassing my adoration for Oregon’s natural beauty.

Archie in outfield during a family baseball game with Mt Hood as a backdrop at Broughton Beach on the Columbia River.

A quick drive to explore Mt Hood up close and personal. She’s a vision from a distance in our NE Portland neighborhood but even better up close.

Ringing in the New Year with a local tradition—searching for the Santa Clones. Excited to make local traditions our upcoming family traditions over the years to come. Snowy margs & champagne were also flowing. We made it to the Oregon Zoo Lights and while it was nice to enjoy it from the warm car, I am eager to go post-covid and grab a pint while viewing {the Oregon Zoo sells beer…how neat is that?!}.

Our first Portland snow! According to locals this happens once per week and usually there isn’t terribly a lot. This year we had around 18”! Our weekend was a winter wonderland and truly felt like a staycation. The tenth picture is of the golf course in our neighborhood. When we got a block to the course all we could hear was the happy screams of kids playing in the snow. The course turned into our own free bunny slopes. People went as far as snowboarding from the road (off the STEEP cliff) onto the course. It was nuts. The streets were filled with cross country skiers, sleds, and snowboarders. The amazing sense of my community enjoying a day together after the year we’ve had filled my heart beyond words. Archie is flawlessly learning to be an all-weather dog. Trips to the mountains to play in the snow will be a new regular Winter occurrence. Archie would spend a majority of the days playing in the snow. He wouldn’t voluntarily come indoors when it was time to warm up and take a break from the cold, we would have to carry him inside. When we awoke each morning, he would run as fast as he could down the stairs and to the back door to go play.

One of my the reasons I most enjoy living in the Pacific Northwest. The fresh seafood. Lunch photo from McMenamins on the Columbia in Vancouver, Washington. This was one of the spots I went to on one of my first visits to Portland. A spot I fell in love with a few years ago and attributed to the “I need to move here” feeling that Oregon overwhelmed me with. Going back to one of the spots that I used to dream about a life in the PNW, but now with my family living up here now as well makes me feel soooo complete.

Next Winter I hope to be more settled {90% of our belongings are in storage right now} and out of our rental into our own home. I’m looking forward to eating and cooking locally each season and hoping to share my own recipes with you in the near future. I hope you stayed warm this season and the sunshine & blooms are gracing your days where you live.

xx